THE ENCAMPMENTS REVIEW

“A film that makes for a thought-provoking conversation-starter”

I may literally be the worst person to review this documentary, directed by Kei Pritsker and Michael T. Workman and produced by Macklemore (a musical artist I only really know by name than by his actual music). Not many people realize that I’m Jewish, but I’m also hesitant to remark on the situation in Israel and Gaza, not because I don’t have an opinion about it, but more because I don’t feel like taking sides in a war that is very much the case of two wrongs not making a right. I’m not really a fan of war or torture or terrorism, violence, or anything that’s going on over there. I also don’t think protesting in support for Palestine and the people of Gaza is necessarily anti-semitism.

But enough about me, let’s talk about this fascinating and timely documentary. The only reason I mentioned those things above to clarify that I never really had much of an opinion on the Columbia students protesting about the situation in Gaza on the campus last year. By documenting those events, Pritsker and Workman are clearly trying to draw comparisons between the encampments created by the students there with the encampments filled with Gaza residents who have been driven out of their homes destroyed by Israeli missiles. That is clearly what is being protested about, and how the university is involved with financing weapons and surveillance tech that’s aiding Israel in the destruction of the Occupied West Bank. The protests are generally peaceful, although all of the tents on the campus could be seen as an issue, but more esthetically than anything else.

One thing the filmmakers can definitely be proud of is that they spent a lot of time with the recently-ICE-arrested Mahmoud Khalil talking about the situation in Gaza. He seems like a perfectly peaceful person who never says one bad word about Jews, and it’s always about the students’ right to protest peacefully. Being able to capture him on film and hearing his voice speaking about the situation in Gaza makes it even more obvious how the federal government doesn’t want people to hear Khalil’s thoughts on the situation in Gaza. Fortunately, the current administration can’t keep people from going out to see this movie.

At times, the film feels a bit one-sided, although there is a nice moment when protesters are singing along with Jewish supporters gathered around the Columbia fences with suspended students having to watch from outside. The students had every right to protest, but as with everything, maybe they took it too far by locking themselves into Hamilton Hall, forcing the hand of the local authorities, but watching the footage of the police raid feels almost as brutal as the treatment of Gaza settlers. Although The Encampments captures a certain period of time, the situation in Israel and Gaza is an ongoing one, and the filmmakers wisely include a few ending notes about things such as Khalil’s situation. (UPDATE: This whole situation is so current that literally hours after I posted this, there was a news story about more students at Columbia protesting Khalil’s arrest by chaining themselves to a hall.)

What it comes down to is that it’s all about money. Columbia, like most Universities, rely on donors and funding for its programs, and the students feel that’s the main reason why so many politicians are coming forward and speaking out about their protests. It’s a little ridiculous to listen to so many non-Jewish politicians decrying what happened at Columbia as anti-semitism, since a handful of Jews on campus felt threatened, but maybe the situation there is similar to that in the Middle East, where there’s a confusing narrative on both sides of the debate.

Regardless, The Encampments does a fine job recounting what happened at Columbia University in early 2024, while making suitable comparisons to protests there against the Vietnam War in the ‘60s. Those were different times and maybe Columbia and politicians weren’t as beholden to money as they are now, but more than anything else, this is a film that makes for a thought-provoking conversation-starter.

Rating: 8/10

The Encampments is already playing in select theaters but will expand to more theaters, including New York’s Film at Lincoln Center, as well as L.A. and other cities on Friday, April 4.